48% selected keeping up with the workload. 26% selected my mental health; 26% selected finding a job afterwards; and 0% selected affording rent and bills.
How all 42 respondents answered
Respondents selected one answer from four options.
Percentages are based on the published response counts. Where whole-number percentages are shown, totals may differ slightly from 100% because of rounding.
Academic pressure leads, but wellbeing and careers are close behind
Workload led the poll
Twenty respondents selected keeping up with the workload.
Mental health is significant
Eleven respondents selected their mental health.
Career concerns match wellbeing
Eleven also selected finding a job afterwards, while rent and bills received no responses.
Students can carry several different pressures into a new academic year
Workload leading the poll may reflect uncertainty about teaching, deadlines and independent study before the year begins.
Mental health and finding a job afterwards were tied at 26%. Rent and bills receiving no responses should not be read as evidence that money is unimportant: the question forced respondents to choose a single biggest worry.
How to report this poll accurately
Keep the response base and indicative audience label attached to the headline finding.
How this poll was recorded
- Question
- What is your biggest worry going into the next academic year?
- Responses
- 42 total responses
- Date recorded
- 10 August 2026
- Collection
- Instagram Stories
- Evidence label
- Indicative first-party Unifresher audience poll
This is an audience poll rather than a population survey. It is useful as a snapshot of the respondents who took part and should not be described as representative of every UK university student.
Questions readers ask next
What was the most common answer?
48% selected “Keeping up with the workload”, making it the largest answer in this poll.
How many respondents chose the top answer?
20 of 42 respondents selected “Keeping up with the workload”.
What was the second most selected answer?
26% selected “My mental health”, equal to 11 responses.
Is this representative of all UK students?
No. This is an indicative Unifresher audience poll with 42 responses, not a nationally representative student survey.
How should this result be reported?
Keep the 42-response base, collection date and indicative-audience label attached to the finding.
Explore more student attitudes
Cite this poll
Unifresher poll, “What is your biggest worry going into the next academic year?”, 42 responses, recorded 10 August 2026. Unifresher Data Hub.
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